ICE Detention Lawyer — Loved One Detained by ICE? The First Days Decide the Most.

Opening a detention case takes a $2,500 retainer, which covers the first stage: locating your loved one, getting on record with the G-28, and preparing the bond request. We accept credit and debit cards, and you don't need immigration status to hire us. The bond the judge sets is separate money paid to ICE — refunded at the end if your loved one attends every hearing.

Many detainees can — an immigration judge weighs family ties, a stable address, work history, community roots, and any record, and a strong sponsor package moves every one of those factors. But certain criminal history triggers mandatory detention with no bond, and people stopped at entry face a different process (parole). We analyze which category applies in the first review and tell you straight.

The legal minimum is $1,500; judges commonly set bonds in the several-thousand to tens-of-thousands range depending on the case. It's paid in full at an ICE bond office — and here's the detail families must plan for: the person who pays must show they're lawfully present in the U.S. If you don't have status yourself, line up a relative or friend who does. The money is refunded at the end of the case as long as your loved one attends every hearing.

A bond request can be made at the first hearing or by written motion, and courts often schedule bond hearings within days to a few weeks — the wait varies by court and season. What the family controls is readiness: the sponsor, the address proof, and the letters. When the package is ready the moment the court is, no time is wasted. That's why we start building it on day one.

Not before a lawyer reads it. Stipulated removal orders and voluntary departure papers can waive the right to see a judge at all — people sign thinking it speeds up release and instead it speeds up removal. Everyone in detention has the right to say two things: "I do not want to sign" and "I want to speak with a lawyer." Get that message to your loved one through the facility phone as soon as you can.

Hiring a lawyer is safe — we work for your family member, not the government, and what you tell us in seeking legal help is confidential. Two practical cautions: the person who pays the bond must have lawful status (plan who that will be), and visiting a facility generally requires ID, so many families send a documented relative or friend to visit while staying fully involved through us.

Use ICE's Online Detainee Locator (locator.ice.gov): search by A-number and country of birth, or by name, date of birth, and country. The A-number — a 9-digit number on any immigration paperwork — is the key that unlocks everything, so look for old documents. People booked in the last day or two may not appear yet, and detainees are moved between facilities without notice. If you can't find them, that's exactly the first thing we do. The government's official guide on what to do when someone is detained: usa.gov/detained-by-ice.